1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a food dispensing machine and method of use, and in particular to a machine for cooking, assembling, and dispensing uniformly shaped foods, such as hot dogs, sausages, or other meats in buns.
2. Background of the Technology
Machines for dispensing food items, such as for dispensing hot dogs, are known in the art. One such machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,299 to Leonid Leykin (xe2x80x9cthe ""299 Patentxe2x80x9d). In the machine of the ""299 patent, a hot dog or sausage is removed from a standard package, placed on a fork holder, and then heated by an infrared oven. Individual buns are conveyed from boxes, and the heated sausage or hot dog is placed in the bun. The bun together with the sausage or hot dog is then warmed in a microwave oven, and the finished food item is dispensed.
However, there remain a number of problems with existing combined food dispensing device technology. For example, the use of infrared heating for the sausage/hot dog via the fork holding device of the ""299 Patent, as well as use of a microwave oven for heating the combined sausage/hot dog and the bun, results in both a slow process and uneven heating of the food. The use of standard packages of hot dogs, from which sausages/hot dogs are individually withdrawn following opening, can result in staleness of sausages/hot dogs that are not immediately removed, as well as producing a potentially dangerous food situation (e.g., bacterial growth in sausages/hot dogs remaining in unsealed packages). Further, the pushing devices of the prior art used to individually remove sausages/hot dogs from containers introduce spillage and bacterial growth from, for example, leakage of juices from the containers, and the complexity of the pushing devices can produce jams or other problems in the devices.
There remains an unmet need to provide food cooking devices that overcome the problems with the prior art.
The present invention includes a food dispensing machine and method of use that includes separately loaded, conveyed, and heated first and second food portions, such as interior and exterior food portions (e.g., hot dog wieners and buns), which are combined after heating for dispensing to a customer.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a first food portion, such as a hot dog, sausage, hamburger, or other generally uniform food portion, is dispensed from a chain of portions formed using a sealing film. The portions are dispensed using a first dispensing device, which slices open the film and expels the first food portion. The first food portion is loaded onto a projecting component, which, via a first conveying device, transports the first food portion to a first heating device, such as a combined infrared and microwave oven. In an embodiment of the present invention, the projecting component rotates the first portion during heating.
In an embodiment of the present invention, second food portions, such as buns, are contained in containers forming a chain of portions via attachment to a second film. Each container containing a second food portion is dispensed by a second dispensing device, which separates the container and food portion from the film and places the container onto a specialized tray, such as a tray including one or more projections for engaging openings in each container. The tray is conveyed, via a second conveying mechanism, to a second heating device, such as a microwave oven, for heating of the second food portion. The heated first and second food portions are then combined and conveyed to a dispensing location.
Other features of embodiments of the present invention include the following: containers for containing the chains of first and second food portions, the containers being optionally located within refrigerated sections of the machine; various vending features, as are known in the art, such as product selection buttons, payment acceptance features, and change dispensing features; condiment and other feeding mechanisms within the machine and ports for dispensing such items from the machine; appropriate electrical and/or electronic control elements for controlling operation of the machine; a test operation panel for testing operation; and various features to facilitate access, cleaning, and maintenance.
Additional advantages and novel features of the invention are set forth in the attachments to this summary, and in part will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or upon learning by practice of the invention.